ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Not much went right for the Rivets on Friday night.
The Royal Oak Leprechauns (14-19) scored in each of the first five innings and dismantled the Rivets (13-16) 11-0 to open a four-game home-and-home series between the Great Lakes East foes. The Rivets fell behind early and watched their deficit grow throughout another frustrating night in what has been a long line of them of late. It’s the second time this season the Rivets have been shut out.
The Leprechauns got off to a fast start thanks to a first inning two-out rally off Rivets starting pitcher Wesley Johnston (Paris JC). After Johnston retired the first two hitters he faced, the Leprechauns strung four consecutive two-out hits together to score a pair of early runs. They’d tack on another run in the second on an RBI groundout to take a 3-0 lead after the first two frames.
The game got away from the Rivets quickly in the third. A pair of singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Leprechauns with one out against Johnston. A two-run single followed to give the Leprechauns a commanding lead, but things went from bad to worse for the Rivets when an attempt to throw behind the runner at second sailed into center field to score another and put a runner on third, who would score on an RBI single shortly thereafter.
That seven-run deficit after three for the Rivets only grew from there. Mason Binder (Wilamette) took over on the mound to make his Rivets debut, but the Leprechaun avalanche just kept coming. The Leprechauns loaded the bases again in the fourth on two more singles and an error before a double play plated an eighth run. Later in the inning, an RBI single gave the home team a 9-0 lead.
The Leprechauns reached double digits in the fifth on another double play after loading the bases for the third consecutive inning. It wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth that the Rivets finally completed a scoreless inning on the mound courtesy of George Gouriotis (Edgewood). Gouriotis, outside of the fifth inning double play and an RBI single in the seventh, gave the Rivets a quality outing in relief — four innings with just two runs allowed — to help save some arms for head coach Chase Brewster who has had to use many in recent weeks.
On offense, the Rivets were held in check throughout the night and were unable to cut into the sizable deficit at any point. The Rivets recorded just five hits all game — all singles — from Collin Mowry (Louisville), Conner Cunningham (Murray State), Jack Scheri (Wabash Valley) and two from Jackson Forbes (Arizona).
Forbes’s second hit drove in the first Rivets run of the game in the ninth with the bases loaded, their only legitimate scoring threat across all nine innings. Tate Shimao followed with an RBI walk before the Leprechauns recorded the final out to seal the victory. Forbes, Scheri and Harrison Bowman (Troy), who walked three times, were the only Rivets to reach base multiple times in the game.
The loss marks the Rivets’ seventh in their last eight games — not including Thursday’s suspended game against Kenosha. It officially eliminates them from winning the Great Lakes East division in the first half, which ends on Monday.
The Rivets and Leprechauns will play again on Saturday at 5:35 p.m. before the teams see each other two more times at Rivets Stadium on Sunday and Monday. Fans can purchase tickets for Rivets games all season long at www.rockfordrivets.com.
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The Rockford Rivets are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 360 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.rockfordrivets.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rivets as your favorite team.